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Chapter 2: Runner, Runner
Abigail was the first to pull Alan along to the Jock's hangout. The hangout was a full-blown, state of the art paradise for members of the hangout. He looked to his left and saw a tennis court; to his right was a miniature basketball court; and in front of him was a door leading inside the hangout in the form of a football. "Pre'ty sweet, right?" She asked as she pushed him through the large oval shaped doors. "We love sports, and sports love us. Ah cer'ainly ain't as good as some o' the other jocks here, but ah'm ain't one to really brag." She began to act a little coy, pretending it wasn't a big deal. "Ya could say ah'm up near the top though, hahah. But tha' ain't the main fo'us here. We needa get ya a type. Do ya li'e foo'ball? Socce'? Wha' 'bout tennis?" He shook his head to all three. "He might like our swimming program. I know I sure as hell do." A voice behind the two called out. "I remember my first day here, and I didn't know what sport was for me. I sucked at them all, except for swimming; but it ain't my flow. I like to save people, ya know?" The owner of the voice stepped out the door way and walked over. "I'm Jordan, the lifeguard for our swimming division, glad to meet you... Uhm..." "Ya gots to be... just loo' at 'em." Abigail said, pulling Jordan closer to Alan. He studied the man in front of him, before shrugging. "Sorry there, cowgirl. His face ain't ringing a bell. Unless, of course, he's the new kid for the swim team. I think his name was Dennis or something. Either way, I can't help ya. Sorry." He said and turned to the door way he came from. "If you're interested in swimming, you know where to find me." He nodded and walked away. Alan looked up at Abigail, who laughed at the puzzled look on his face. "Don't ya worry ya little hea'. He ain't the smartest of the crew here; the dumbest if possible. Is there somewhere ya'd like to see? The football field where the big game will be played on Friday, or perhaps the cheerleader's corners." She said. She gave him a quick wink and he blushed lightly. "Ya don't talk much do ya?" He shook his head. "Eh, worth a shot. Oh, ah know, ah have someone to show ya. He's our hangout leader. He'll help ya know if jock's is the place for ya." She grabbed his hand and took off for the track field. There, a tall man blew his whistle from the side. His finger struck the stop watch each time a runner passed him. "Let's go liver-skinned! You have to get faster if you want to stand a chance against Melio Audis! They're over there right now, slacking off and having a good time. They're not worried about trying against you guys, you're the easiest team to them! Unless you want to lose to that sucky ass school, move your asses!" He looks down at his watch and grins to himself. "Still too slow! Do it again!" "Hey, Coach, can we tal' for a min? Ah got someone ya oughta see." Abigail said, wrapping her arm around Alan's neck. He wasn't sure what to do; this being the first he's gotten close to a girl before. "Yeah, yeah. Give me five... C'mon! Do it again, and again, and again! Do it five more times; ten more! ...Alright, what's up?" "Coach, ah wanna know if ya could tell meh if he be in our teams. He neva played any of the other games, but he can run. Ah can contest to that part." She said, pushing Alan toward the coach. He put his face close to the young lads and stared into his eyes. "Well?" "I don't see any fire in his eyes. He doesn't have any determination in him, and you know how I feel about undetermined people. They're a waste of space and time. So no, he's not gonna be in any of our teams." The coach said, moving away from Alan and back to the track. "You finished being slow? Good! Now go five more times!" He didn't bother turning back around to face the two. Abigail, with her feeling of neglect, stood behind Alan and open his bookbag. She was determined to get him onto one of the Jock's teams. The only way to do so was to steal something precious from him. She ran, and he chased her. He could see his lamb's feet hanging out of her hand. She jumped onto the track, pushing all of the runners out her way with him close on her tail. She picked up speed, and he picked up twice her speed. Within five minutes, they had ran around the track nearly six times before he made a jump for her. He managed to tackle her to the ground and take the lamb from her; and get her arms wrapped around him tightly. "Ah knew ya could do it. Now c'mer." She said, pulling his head into her neck. She hadn't ran that fast, let alone that long in a while, and she was out of breathe. He could feel his cheeks getting redder with each second that passed. The coach had walked up and picked up Alan, leaving a tired runner on the floor. "I was wrong about you, boy. What I saw was the best out of this school, and I'd like to give you a lead spot on the team. What do you say? Join our team and get a possible scholarship for Track?" The coach said and held out his hand. All Alan could do was stare at the coach, panting like a dog. "Ah, alright, too soon. You go get washed and then think about it. I'll give you a day for your answer, or else I'll take back your chance." Alan nodded and walked out the hangout, followed the path back to the gates and home. He thought about how he could be a running star, and get into college with a scholarship, and how bad he smelled after running for so long.